Crushed On
by crackalou
Summary: Crushing on someone isn't always as easy as it seems. Unfortunately, neither is a confession. So, when Sakura refuses to tell a certain someone about her feelings for him, it's decided that something must be done. one-shot


**A/N:** _This is nothing but just a bunch of siliness, really. There's no real plot to it, but it was fun to write. A real burden was lifted off my mind when I wrote this, probably because it's just pointless and (in some peoples' opinions) redundant and cliche. But that's ok. Sometimes, redundant and cliche works a good way to let off some steam, whether others like it or not (why anyone would want to write for the pleasure of others is beyond me, though...) Anyway, be weary of ridiculous situations at hand and attempted KakaSaku-ness. _

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"It's just something to think about," her friend said, clicking her tongue in disapproval of her supposed "ignorance".

The girl in question stared at the other incredulously, her eyes wide with what should be believed to be astonishment. Really, what on earth had brought up such a suggestion, let alone basic idea and total and complete understanding? She was more observant than she let on. But, even so, she, the graciously pink haired, green eyed kunoichi, would not give in. So what if she was crushing on her old sensei? It was only a _phase_. Everything that she was currently feeling would go away... eventually... after... seven... years...

Sakura sighed in defeat. Who was she kidding? Her crushing had been intact since the moment she was able to get a glimpse of what lay underneath that material he always wore. She could never get him out of her head after that. Such a marvelous sight. A body speckled with aged guilt, the occasional old scar marring the back of his shoulders and across his abdomen. He was more vulnerable looking, she had realized, _without_ all those layers of clothes... and she desperately prayed she could see it again. It was a beautiful sight, to be able to see such flaws upon any person, as strange as it sounded.

Once again, the young lady sighed, leaning her head back slightly to rest against the plush comfort of the sofa she currently sprawled on. She chanced a glance at the blonde friend that stood before her, her arms crossed over her chest pointedly, pushing up the pert breasts that had developed over the years of maturity and pregnancy. Hypnotic jade clashed with prominent cerulean and everything went downhill from there.

In a manner of barely withheld frustration and temper, Sakura's lithe wrist was captured in a bone cracking grip and she was hauled from her comfortable position. She couldn't help but visibly wince from the amount of pain her – supposedly – best friend bestowed upon her and her frown itched to grow across her carefully constructed features. What was she thinking; she wasn't planning on _forcing_ her into confession, was she? Sakura's eyes grew wide as she was tossed a rather... inexplicable look.

"If you're too daft to follow through with my advice yourself, then I'll help you."

Sakura's breath hitched in her throat and she instantly began to fight as her blonde friend threw open her front door. In a manner hardly befitting of a young lady such as herself, Sakura screeched at the top of her lungs and latched onto the first thing that she could for dear life: The door frame.

"Ino, no," she screamed, her cheeks bruised with a furious blush of bewilderment. "I am _not_ going to do anything! It will pass, the same way it did like with Sasuke-kun!"

"Sakura, why are you in such denial?" Ino began to growl in disapproval at her friend's behavior as she tried loosening her death-like grip on her, _Ino's_, door frame. "The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can rid yourself of these god damn childish ways of yours!"

"No," was Sakura's flustered response as she struggled to maintain her grip on the wood and pull herself back into the home and onto her own two feet. "I refuse! You can't make me!"

Suddenly, Ino's grip on her friend's body loosened, and said friend released another shriek as her body fell with a painfully disgraceful "thud" onto her knees. Sakura took deep and shaky breaths as she tried to calm herself. She still held a firm grip on the wooden frame – just in case Ino decided to trying to snatch her again – but as she turned her gaze to her old friend, a quizzical look reflecting in her green eyes, she found Ino was no longer with her.

Sakura blinked, turning her attention to the empty home she was just forced out of. Where had Ino gone? This was _her_ home, not Sakura's... What was that cranky old pig up to?

Sakura couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about her current predicament, but pulled herself onto her feet anyway. She still trembled, and her heart still beat ferociously fast against her weary chest, and she let out a ragged breath, though it was out of relief more than fear. All that mattered was that Sakura was safe...

_For now_, she mused to herself bitterly.

And so she began to walk... home. Away from crazy old blonde ladies, away from even crazier blonde friends, away from easily protective blonde teammates, and away from snide and cynical and downright infuriating brunette teammates, and away from beautifully structured old men whom she could not stop thinking about. Away, to the comfort only a humble abode could offer: With a warm bed, fantastical cosmetic offerings and bathing rituals..._real _food that did not consist of broth and noodles and a shop entitled "Ichiraku", after the old man who ran it. Oh, and the beautiful feeling of peace and quiet, where she could finish off that mission report she had been ignoring for the past several hours and where she did not have to endure the barking of a loud mouthed rivalry of two who just didn't know when to quit.

She could only smile in bliss at the thought. No, Haruno Sakura could not wait to get home.

But the smile left her features as soon as it appeared as her figure collided with another. She gasped in surprise and staggered backwards a few steps, losing her balance by tripping over her own two feet, and fell on her butt in the dirty road of her home village. She groaned as she stood up, gently caressing the throb her buttocks let off from the sudden impact of a rocky road slamming against the tender flesh and mumbled a very embarrassed apology.

"Sakura?"

She froze in place, her hand subconsciously gripping the material that rested on her butt where she now attempted to rid of excess dirt. Slowly, Sakura lifted her light gaze only to meet, much to her chagrin, the one-eyed gaze of her old teacher and current captain, Hatake Kakashi... and current crush. She groaned in exasperation and buried her face in the palms of her hands as her face grew hot in sheer humiliation.

"Kakashi-sensei," she mumbled into her hands. "I'm so sorry."

"That's quite alright," said Kakashi, amusement clearly evident in that lazy tone of his. But it soon faded as he studied her coolly with his uncovered eye and asked her, "Is there anything wrong?"

Sakura's head shot up from her hands, and she gave her teacher a scrutiny that she never knew she could possibly succeed at almost immediately. She considered telling him that, yes, there was something wrong, but thought the better of it. The less Kakashi-sensei knew about her inner ramblings and feelings, the better it was for her and the rest of their team. So, she shook her head slowly, locking her stare with his.

He wasn't convinced. She knew it just from staring into his eye. He was never really the guy who could easily be fooled with any lie (though he seemed to have a lot of trouble accepting the truth, it would seem) thrown at him; that was just his nature. But, knowing him, he was probably not willing to care enough and would let it slide. Or so she hoped, at least. She wouldn't enjoy an interrogation on his part too much.

She was overcome with instant relief the moment he nodded his head anyway and smiled, the only indication of him doing so being the crinkling of his eye. She smiled in return and was about to brush past him with a muttered, "I'll be seeing you around, Kakashi-sensei," when he grabbed her gently by the wrist and pulled her back. She blinked and stared at the skin-to-skin contact, taking a moment to register that it was her old teacher and current crush that touched the most sensitive part of her arm. As soon as it did, her cheeks reddened and she became rather flustered.

"How would you feel about accompanying me to lunch this fine afternoon, Sakura?"

And that's when she went, quite literally, dumb: Everything in her mind stopped working; the muscles in her jaw loosened to where it hung in a gape, her entire body went lax in a not-so-pretty manner, and her eyes glazed in a stupor. She couldn't even respond she was so shocked. It meant nothing to the older fellow, though, who grinned noticeably beneath his mask and gave her wrist a gentle tug in his direction. That was enough to pull her out of her reverie.

She blinked several times as she was jutted forward by her wrist and she shot a look of confusion to the man clad in Jounin attire. Only one thought crossed her mind as her eyes stared into his. "You mean like a date?"

Needless to say, he was the one who went completely dumb now, though it was hardly as noticeable as hers, poor child. He stared at her, his eye hooded with a mask just like the rest of his face. Clearly, he thought she was a moron, and she seriously felt like one for asking such a question.

_Of course he hadn't meant it like a date_, she scolded herself.

But it might as well mean as such. It certainly _sounded_ like a date, a darker side of her chuckled somewhat mischievously.

Really now, it was a known fact that Kakashi-sensei never used the word "accompany" in any form in the same sentence as "lunch" and "fine" around Sakura. It was a very polite and subtle way of hinting towards a future relationship to her. Surely, he remembered the last time someone said such things to her? Who could forget; Sasuke-kun was left hospitalized for the next three days. But even so, she would never react in such a way towards Kakashi-sensei. He was a man she knew she could trust with her life; a comrade who had protected her with his own. She knew that, even if the chances were slim to none, if he did ask her to dinner in _that_ way, it would not have necessarily been in _that_ way and the date would have ended before it even started.

As she fidgeted and inwardly scolded herself for her ignorance, her sensei grinned sheepishly under his mask and rubbed the back of his neck rather embarrassedly. So, this was what Ino was talking about. It wasn't much of a surprise to him; he was somewhat suspicious of Sakura's crush on him. However, when the blonde Chuunin had encountered him those few minutes earlier (a feat within itself – no one had ever found him so soon within searching for him), his curiosity piqued about his beloved ex-student.

True, he should have been concerned, but as long as it didn't affect him, the missions they went on together, or any work in general, he wouldn't mind. But as that inevitable question left her mouth, he couldn't help but freeze on the spot.

_Was_ he asking her out on a date? He had made a mental note to himself _never_ to use such disgustingly sweet and grotesque chick-flick level gentlemanly words like "accompany" or "fine" together grouped with "lunch", particularly around Sakura. He was with her the day Sasuke all but asked her out, and witnessed the brutal beating the poor kid was given from doing so. He could clearly imagine the pain the dark Uchiha endured as she pummeled his gut, his rather handsome face, and _other places_ a few hundred times.

Oh, _god_, stop thinking about it!

Shoving all thoughts and urges to protect his manhood aside, he looked at his former student and grinned pleasantly at her. In hopes of saving himself for any reason at all (he had no idea if she wanted it to be a date or not, and wouldn't take any chances), he asked her, "Would you like it to be a date?"

And, much to everyone's chagrin, Sakura, in fact, reacted rather violently. Pumping one of her fists into the air, she pointed with the other accusingly at Kakashi and… screamed.

Then, without a second thought, she ran away.

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. For being such a downright gorgeous little thing at only 18, it was rather disappointing to note that Sakura's mentality still hadn't caught up with the maturity level of her physical assets.

But nevertheless, he thought, he was rather flattered to be thought of so highly and, shoving his hands in his dark blue pockets, he walked off.

Regardless, though… even if he was flattered by such an outstanding revelation, that didn't mean he wasn't somewhat concerned about the creepiness of it all.

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Hahaha, and to think, I almost considered turning this into a real plot. XD

_:__D Reviews are love...?_


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